The faculty evaluation process is predicated on the fact that teaching is the highest priority for faculty of Volunteer State Community College. There are many other important activities in which faculty engage, but none is more important than the teaching function. This process is meant to support and strengthen high quality teaching while also providing recognition and reinforcement of excellent service, scholarship, and professional development.
It is the responsibility of Human Resources to initiate the processes and timeline involved in faculty supervisor evaluations in consultation with Academic Affairs. The Division of Academic Affairs administers the other processes involved in faculty evaluations.
The faculty evaluation shall, as a minimum, consist of the following components:
- Student responses
- Peer observations
- Self evaluation
- Supervisor evaluation
Components
Student responses. A student response survey will be administered at a pre-determined date in Fall, Spring, and Summer terms by an outside software vendor. Students are contacted electronically to complete course surveys, and student survey information will be provided to all students. The methodology of student response surveys will be periodically reviewed by the standing Instructional Assessment Committee of the College. The results of the student response surveys will be available to faculty, and department chairs. after the final date for recording grades at the end of each term and to division deans on the last day of instruction for the term. Individual faculty will have online access to their specific course surveys; department chairs will be able to access surveys for all faculty within their departments; and division deans will have access to all surveys for faculty within their respective divisions.
Classes for all faculty will be included in this process each semester, including those taught by tenured, non-tenured and adjunct faculty. Student feedback is an integral component of Teaching Excellence and necessary for the promotion and tenure process.
Peer observation. Peer observation is conducted to allow faculty to benefit from feedback from other educators regarding their teaching. Peer observation provides an opportunity for sharing ideas, joint problem-solving related to student learning, and feedback between instructors. The observation process includes at least one classroom visit, a review of course syllabi and materials, a review of student-faculty interaction, and an overall summary of the instructor’s effectiveness in the classroom. Constructive criticism is provided, as well, highlighting strengths and suggestions for areas of improvement. Peer observation is meant to be a positive process for the improvement of faculty member performance.
Peer observation will be conducted each year by a three-member team comprised of faculty which will maintain communication with the faculty member during the semester of peer observation. The make-up of the evaluation team is provided by the Division Dean in September each year, with each team containing at least three faculty members, with at least one tenured faculty member included on each team when possible. Non-tenure track (term and temporary) and tenure-track faculty will participate in peer observation every year.
Tenured faculty in good standing will participate in peer observation every three years and also in the year prior to any planned promotion application if not already scheduled. Tenured faculty may be required to participate in an annual peer observation process at the discretion of the dean in the presence of performance concerns, including but not limited to significant student complaints, a significant decrease in student evaluation scores, or other documented performance issues.
Peer observation teams should coordinate to ensure that the faculty member receives feedback on a variety of classes and instructional formats. Peer observations will be documented through the Class Observation form, which will be sent to the faculty member and to the Division Dean by the participating faculty members no later than end of March each year for 9/10 month faculty and no later than the end of June for 12-month faculty. The Class Observation form will be periodically reviewed by the standing Instructional Assessment Committee and approved by Human Resources.
Adjunct faculty members will not be evaluated as part of the full-time faculty peer evaluation teams. Each adjunct faculty member will be evaluated by one full-time faculty member using the Class Observation form during their first semester of teaching and then once every third semester that they teach afterwards, with Department Chairs coordinating the process and ensuring it is completed for the adjunct faculty due each semester. The Department Chair will submit the original form to the Office of Human Resources, with copies provided to the adjunct faculty member and to the division office.
Self evaluation. The self evaluation is one of the primary documents on which the supervisor makes an overall evaluation of a faculty member. The purposes of self evaluation are to use the faculty member’s self-knowledge to acknowledge strengths, develop strategies for improvement and establish goals.
The self-evaluation submitted by the faculty member will address the following areas and provide the faculty member’s activities and accomplishments in the past year and reflect on the level of achievement as well as potential goals for the future:
- Teaching Excellence. Teaching may include, but is not limited to, a variety of techniques including instruction, development of course materials and courseware, and development of effective approaches to teaching. This component includes course, curriculum and/or program development, development and application of effective instructional techniques, and documentation of efforts to achieve learning objectives. Student, peer, and administrative responses relating to the teaching performance are a necessary and important element, and reflection on these results will be included in the self evaluation for this section.
- Scholarship/Creative Activities/Professional Development. This component includes pursuits in support of the discipline or the teaching profession, which may include typical professional development such as taking a class, implementing new teaching approaches, staying current in the teaching field, and/or other scholarly/artistic endeavors. Research applies to the studious inquiry, examination, or discovery that contributes to disciplinary and interdisciplinary bodies of knowledge.
- Service. This component includes service to the College through committee work or college service projects and service within the faculty member’s academic department and division. This component could also include active participation in a professional organization; service as an advisor to student organizations; or participation in a community service club, service as a speaker for clubs or organizations while representing the College, or participation in community projects as a representative of the College.
- Advising/Mentoring. This component includes student academic advising as well as mentoring activities. Student academic advising is an integral part of the student experience and is a key factor in student success. Mentoring is an elevated process that provides students with the expertise of a professional in their chosen area of study who will deliver needed information to students, individually or in group settings, about career fields in that area in order to positively impact the student’s direction and life path. This component includes reflection on the completion of required training in academic advising as well as the use of provided information and resources to mentor students toward credential completion, transfer, and/or beginning a career. Evaluation of performance in academic advising and/or mentoring provides an opportunity to enhance the skills in this area.
- Administrative Responsibilities (if applicable). This component includes the administrative duties completed by department chairs, program directors, and other faculty receiving release time for administrative work.
- Performance Strengths. This component allows the faculty member to reflect on accomplishments or improvements made over the past year based on established objectives.
- Performance Objectives and Developmental Needs for the Coming Year. The faculty member provides updates on goals from the previous year and sets goals to achieve during the upcoming academic year based on needed improvements and professional goals to enhance the teaching process and the faculty member’s professional growth.
Supervisor Evaluation. The purposes of the supervisor evaluation are to provide the faculty member with information from a supervisory perspective, synthesize information from various components of the evaluation process, and assist in the development and implementation of a faculty members’ professional development plan. As supervisor, the Division Dean will review the progress that a faculty member has made toward completion of the objectives.
Ideally, this process will be ongoing and will culminate in the annual review process during Fall Semester. Non-tenure track (term and temporary) and tenure-track faculty will receive a supervisor evaluation every year. Tenured faculty in good standing will receive a supervisor evaluation every three years and also in the year prior to any planned promotion application if not already scheduled. Tenured faculty may be required to participate in an annual supervisor evaluation process at the discretion of the dean in the presence of performance concerns, including but not limited to significant student complaints, significant decrease in student response survey scores, or other documented performance issues.
Administrative observations of teaching will be completed no later than the end of March for 9/10 month faculty and no later than the end of June for 12 month faculty for all faculty scheduled for a peer observation in that year. Administrative observations may be completed by the faculty member’s supervisor or by another dean within Academic Affairs and will be documented with the Class Observation form, which will be submitted to the faculty member and the faculty member’s supervisor before the end of the spring semester.
Each faculty member scheduled for a supervisor evaluation will submit a self evaluation packet including all required documentation according to the deadline established by the Dean. The Dean will review the self evaluation materials submitted by the faculty member and will complete the Faculty Performance Evaluation form. The Dean will then meet with each faculty member to discuss the overall assessment and goals/objectives for the following year. The Faculty Performance Evaluation form will be periodically reviewed by the standing Instructional Assessment Committee and approved by Human Resources.
As teaching is the most heavily weighted area for the Promotion and Tenure processes, a Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory rating in the Teaching area will automatically trigger a performance improvement plan. A rating of Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory in any of the other three areas may trigger a performance improvement plan. A performance improvement plan is initiated by the supervisor, with the assistance of Human Resources, and reviewed between the supervisor and the faculty member.
The faculty member should sign the Faculty Performance Evaluation form to acknowledge awareness of its contents and the discussion with the Dean. The faculty member’s signature does not necessarily mean the faculty member fully agrees with the contents of the evaluation and a statement to this effect is included on the evaluation instrument. The faculty member is entitled to a copy of the evaluation.
In situations when a faculty member has reason to disagree with the performance evaluation, the faculty member and the Dean should make every effort to resolve concerns by exploring all aspects of the issue carefully, cooperatively, and open-mindedly.
Within 14 calendar days following the initial discussion of the performance evaluation with the Dean, if the issue is still unresolved, the faculty member may respond to the content or conduct of the performance evaluation in writing. The response should be forwarded to the Dean and a copy should be submitted to the Office of Human Resources for inclusion into the faculty member’s file with the original evaluation document.
It is the intent of the College that performance evaluations are to be completed and discussed with all employees on time. In the event that this does not occur, employees are encouraged to request, in writing to their supervisor, that their performance evaluation be conducted in a timely manner.
TBR Source: 5.02.02.30 (Promotion Policy): TBR Meeting, April 2, 2004; TBR Meeting, September 25, 2009; TBR Meeting June 20, 2019
TBR Source: 5.02.03.70 (Tenure Policy): TBR Meeting April 2, 2004; TBR Meeting, September 20, 2019
VSCC Source: January 1983, President; February 1, 1989, President; October 6, 2008, President’s Cabinet; August 17, 2020, President’s Cabinet; February 22, 2023, President’s Cabinet; June 15, 2023, President
